Warm up the VCRs, 'ER' faces a challenge from 'Murder One'

Steve McKerrowTHE BALTIMORE SUN

It's a showdown at the 10 o'clock corral tonight as "Murder One" takes up its regular position on ABC opposite "ER," last season's powerhouse on NBC.

* "New York Undercover" (9 p.m.-10 p.m., WBFF, Channel 45) -- Eartha Kitt makes a guest appearance, as J. C. and Eddie (Malik Yoba and Michael DeLorenzo) go undercover in a Harlem high school where a murder has taken place.

Supermodel Naomi Campbell also joins the cast for six episodes a book editor interested in J. C. Fox.

* "New York News" (9 p.m.-10 p.m., WJZ, Channel 13) -- There's no more of the "Oh-Rob/Oh-Mr. Grant" about Mary Tyler Moore in her new series, where she plays a tough-minded editor of a Manhattan newspaper. But is anybody watching? CBS.

The network repeats episode three (from last week) at 9, and follows at 10 (its regular time slot) with a new episode in which -- and does this sound familiar? -- Hoffman must deal with a potentially discrediting videotape. ABC.

* "P.O.V.: Carmen Miranda: Bananas Is My Business" (11 p.m.-12:35 p.m., MPT, Channels 22, 67) -- This special edition of the independent film series profiles the Brazilian bombshell who made it big in 1940s movies.

Cable

* "Gore Vidal's Gore Vidal" a (9 p.m.-10 p.m., A&E; Network) -- "The wittiest of all American writers" is what Kurt Vonnegut calls the subject of this portrait. Timed for this week's release of his memoir, "Palimpsest."